Device for feeding brochures



18, 1970 w. SCHUSTER 3,524,530

DEVICE FOR FEEDING BROCHURES Filed June 7, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

IN V EN TOR:

BY AZMQ 18, 1970 w. SCHUSTER 3,524,530

DEVICE FOR FEEDING BROCHURES Filed June 7, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iINVENTOR. Fig. 4

-QM ZZM2M United States Patent M 3,524,530 DEVICE FOR FEEDING BROCHURESWilhelm Schuster, Karlsruhe, Germany, assignor to Industrie-WerkeKarlsruhe Aktiengesellshaft, Karlsruhe, Germany, a corporation ofGermany Filed June 7, 1968, Ser. No. 735,312

Claims priority, application Germany, June 9, 1967,

Int. Cl. B65g 47/00 US. Cl. 198-25 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe invention relates to a device for feeding and adding descriptiveliterature, such as brochures, directions for use, and the like, to astream of uniformly spaced identical articles continuously advanced by afilling goods conveyor of a packaging machine, for example an endlessconveyor chain provided with filling goods pockets. The device furtherincludes a brochure supplier for advancing the folded brochures andtransferring them to receptacles associated with the filling goodspockets of the conveyor and at least one guide bar for directing thefree ends of the brochures into the desired position.

It is known to package tubes, bottles and the like together wtihadvertising literature or directions for use in folding boxes by meansof packaging machines. The articles to be packaged are continuouslyequidistantly conveyed by means of a conveyor which, as a rule, is aconveyor chain provided with pockets for receiving the filling goods,and are fed to a folding box filling and closing station where they arepushed by slide plates into the folding boxes arranged in parallelrelationship.

Ditficulties, however, arise in the feeding and adding of enclosures tothe individual articles on the conveyor. In a known device a brochuresupplier conveys brochures taken from a stack and subsequently folded byfolding means to the conveyor chain laden with filling goods and insertsthese brochures with one end into receiving pockets provided on theconveyor chain and associated with the filling goods pockets. Thebrochures are then taken along by the conveyor whereby the sectionsprotruding from the receiving pockets are placed by guide bars in aposition in front of the discharge opening of the filling goods pocketsso that the brochures at the folding box filling station lie between thearticles to be packaged and the open front ends of the folding boxes andon inserting the articles into the folding boxes are taken along by thearticles.

While machines equipped with the just described brochure supplier workreliably at relatively low operating speeds provided the brochures paperis heavy, they are not suitable for high speed operation and thin paperenclosures because then the enclosures to be inserted with one end intoa receiving pocket of the conveyor tend to crumple and either are not atall insertable into the receiving pocket or at least are not properlyplaced with respect to the filling goods articles.

The objection of the invention is therefore the improvement of devicesfor conveying and feeding brochures and 3,524,530 Patented Aug. 18, 1970the like to filling good articles to be packaged in folding boxes.

Proceeding from a machine of the aforedescribed type, the solution ofthe problem according to the invention consists in that the receptaclesfor the brochures are arranged on a continuous endless brochureconveying device extending adjacent and along the filling goods conveyorand are constructed in the form of clamping pockets controlled by cams.The brochure conveying device comprises most efficiently an endlesschain guided over two chain wheels. These wheels may be in axialalignment with the drive roller and the deflecting roller and may be.adjusted to different angular positions with respect to these rollers;otherwise, they may be arranged on the same shaft and secured thereonagainst rotation.

A modification of the invention provides for an oscillatable brochuretransfer device arranged between the discharge end of the brochuresupplier and a point of transfer to the clamping pockets of the brochureconveyor. This brochure transfer device consists of at least one pair oftongs executing a preferably circular orbit and having one leg actedupon by a spring force in the direction of its closing position so thatby means of a stationary cam disc it is directed against the action ofthe closing spring into the opening position such that the tongs in itsopen condition at the discharge end of the brochure supplier seizes aprotruding section of the brochure, then closes and in its closedcondition arrives at the transfer point to the brochure conveying devicewhere it opens up again.

The movable leg of the tongs may be mounted on a rotary table and may bepivotable perpendicular to the table plane. It may further be rigidlyconnected with a lever provided with a roller which is constructed as acam disc follower and which during rotation of the rotary table movesfrictionally along the circumference of the stationary cam disc, thuscontrolling the tong leg in accordance with the contours of the camdisc.

According to another feature of the invention, the rotary table may berigidly connected to a cam disc having a control cam thereon which isassociated with the tongs of the transfer device and in cooperation witha protruding lever arm of the clamping pockets of the brochure conveyor.The clamping pockets are opened by this control cam in the region of thetransfer station, but on further rotation of the table are released sothat a brochure advanced by the transfer device to the transfer pointmay enter into a clamping pocket with its front end and may be held byit. In order for the cam disc rigidly connected with the rotary table toexecute its control function, the table and with it the cam disc rotateat such a speed that its circumferential velocity is somewhat higherthan the linear velocity of the brochure conveyor synchronously movedwith the filling goods conveyor.

The device in accordance with the invention may further be provided witha cam secured to the cam disc rigidly connected with the rotary tableand controlled by a cam disc followed by means of another stationaryca-m disc in a manner such that the follower slides behind the brochureseized by the tongs of the transfer device at the discharge end of thebrochure supplier and conveyed to the transfer station in the region ofa clamping pocket of the brochure conveying device and supports therebythat end of the brochure not held by the tongs. As soon as the brochurehas been transferred by the transfer device to the clamping pocket ofthe brochure conveyor, the follower is pivotally withdrawn.

The invention will be described in further detail with reference to anexemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of this device;

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the device, and

FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. 1.

The device for feeding and depositing brochures or similar enclosures toa stream of identical uniformly spaced articles continuously advanced bya filling goods conveyor consists primarily of a brochure transferdevice 1 associated with a brochure supplier 2 and a brochure conveyor 3which continuously moves together with a conveying device 4 carrying thearticles to which the brochures or the like are to be added.

The brochure transfer station is in the form of a rotary table 5 and isrotatably mounted on the machine frame by means of a vertical shaft 6.Disposed on the rotary table 5 are four tongs 7 which are pivotablebetween an opening and a closing position and are equidistantly arrangedfrom the center of the rotary table 5 and at uniform angular distancesfrom each other. Below the rotary table 5 are arranged in axial spacedrelationship from each other two stationary cam discs 8 and 9 throughwhich extends the vertical shaft 6 of the rotary table 5. A cam disc 11is rigidly connected to the rotary table 5 by means of verticalconnecting elements 10.

Each tong 7 has a tong arm with the legs 12, 13 mounted on a horizontalpivot pin 14 and is pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the rotarytable 5. The leg 12 of the tongs extends from the pivot pin 14 outwardlyonto the top of the rotary table 5 and carries at its outermost end aplate 15 with a surface which is parallel to the table plane. The leg 13of the two-armed lever of the tongs 7 extends from the pivot pin 14substantially vertically downward and at its outermost end carries aroller 16 forming a cam disc follower and cooperating with thestationary cam disc 8. The two-armed tong portion is engaged by a notillustrated spring which exerts a force acting in the direction closingthe tongs. Thereby the roller 16 attached to the lower end of the tongleg 13 is kept in operative engagement with the cam disc 8.

The cam disc 8 comprises substantially the two circular segments 17 and18 (FIG. 3) and the transitions between these two segments. The radiusof the circular segment 18 is larger than that of the segment 17 and isof such a size that the roller 16 of each tong 7 which durig therotation of the rotary table 5 moves along the periphery of the cam discis urged outwardly in the region of the cam segment 18 by an amountwhich corresponds to the opening width of the tongs 7 whereby the tongarm is pivoted about the pivot pin 14 into the opening position. If theroller 16 is in the region of the cam segment 17, the tongs 7 are keptin their closed position by the action of a not illustrated closingspring, i.e. the surface of the plate 15 on the leg 12 is parallel withthe rotary table plane and engages the upper face of the rotary table.The transitions between the two cam segments 17 and 18 are so arrangedthat each tong assumes its closed position when it is in the region ofthe discharge ends of the brochure supplier and opens again at thetransfer station to the tfilling goods conveyor.

Arranged in advance of the brochure transfer device 1 is the brochuresupplier 2. The brochure supplier 2 consists of two endless conveyorband pairs 20, 21 and 22, 23 which are spaced from each other andterminate tangentially at the rotary table 5 of the transfer device 1,leaving, however, a gap between the rotary table 5 and the adjacent bandpair 22, 23.

The discharge ends 24 of the conveyor belts of the brochure supplier areso guided by deflecting rollers 25, 26 that the two strands 27, 28 ofthe two conveyor belts of a pair of conveyors converge and engage oneanother so as to advance the brochures 29 to the rotary table 5 and intothe grasping range of the tongs 7 disposed on the rotary table 5. Thebrochures 29 are folded and delivered to the brochure supplier by meanswhich do not form part of the present invention.

The filling goods conveyor 4 is vertically arranged to the brochuresupplier 2 and likewise is disposed parallel with a tangent to therotary table 5. This conveyor 4 comprises substantially two parallelconveyor chains 30, 31 having horizontal bars 32, 33 attached thereto.The conveyor belts formed by the chains 30, 31 and the bars 32, 33 areguided by vertical guide bars 34, 35, 36. Attached to the bars 32, 33are angular members 37, 38 in such a manner that they are alternatelyattached to the bars of the chains 30 and 31 of the filling goodsconveyor 4. The chains 30, 31 are endless and are guided by notillustrated sprocket wheels. For the purpose of adjusting the size ofthe filling goods pockets the sprocket wheels are adjustable to oneanother within a certain angular range and operate at the same speed.

The brochure conveyor 3 is arranged at the side of the filling goodsconveyor 4 which faces the rotary table 5. The brochure conveyor 3consists of a conveyor chain 40 moving in unison with the conveyor 4 andhaving attached thereto clamping pockets 41. The clamping pockets 41 areformed by a leg 42 rigidly connected to the transport chain 40 and by atwo-armed lever 44 which by means of a pivot pin 43 is disposed in aplane parallel with the plane of the rotary table 5. A closing force isimparted to the lever 44 by a not illustrated spring. The leg 42 of theclamping pocket 41 extends approximately parallel to the direction ofmovement of the transport chain 40. The pivotally mounted two-armedlever 44 has an arm 45 extending from its pivot pin 43 toward the leg 42and a leg 46 extending from the pivot pin 43 into the oppositedirection. The leg 46 is offset with respect to the arm 45 and projectsfrom the conveyor chain 40 toward the transfer device 2.

The brochure conveying device formed by the transport chain 40 and theclamping pocket 41 is arranged at the same elevation as the cam disc 11rigidly connected with the rotary table 5. The cam disc 11 is providedwith the same number of cams 48 as the rotary table 5 has tongs 7. Thetong legs 46 of the clamping pockets 41 of the brochure conveyor 3project into the range of rotation of the cams 48. The arrangement ofthe cams 48 is such that they are able to cooperate with the protrudinglegs 46 of the clamping pockets when the latter are at the transferstation and a pair of tongs 7 of the transfer device holding a brochurearrive at the transfer station. After the brochure is seized by theclamping pockets, the cams 48 disengage from the legs 46 and theclamping pockets close by the action of a spring force on the lever 44.

On the cam disc 11 and below the tongs 7 disposed on the rotary table 5are arranged by means of pivot pins the follower levers 50 which arepivotable in a plane parallel to the rotary table plane. Rigidlyconnected with each follower lever 50 is a second lever 51 carrying atits end a roller 52 acting as a cam follower. In the same plane as theroller 52 is disposed between the stationary cam disc 8 and the cam disc11 rigidly connected to the rotary table 5 a stationary cam disc 9 whichis provided with a cam 53. The roller 52 on the lever 51 of the followerlever 50 is in coaction with the cam disc 9 in that it is kept inoperative engagement with the peripheral edge of the cam disc 9 by meansof a spring 54. The cam 53 is so arranged that the follower lever 50slides behind the protruding end of the brochure in order to support it,but releases it at the transfer station by pivotally withdrawing to aretracted position.

During operation of the device the folded brochure 29 are successivelyand equidistantly fed by not disclosed means to the receiving end of thesupplier and are conveyed to the discharge end of the brochure supplier.One end of the brochures extends into the rotational range of the rotarytable 5 and is seized by the tongs 7. At this moment the roller 16controlling the respective tong 7 arrives at the transition between thecam segment 18 and the cam segment 17 of the cam disc 8 and the tongsclose. The portion of the brochure not seized by the tongs 7 is nowmoved during the further rotation of the continuously rotary table belowthe guide 'bar 55 which slants down- Wardly and extends close to thetransfer station and the brochure is gradually bent downward by thisguide bar 55. In order to avoid deformation of the brochures which haveonly a small natural rigidity, with each tongs 7 is associated the lever50 which by means of the cam disc followers 52 is pivoted from out of aretracted position against the action of a spring 54 and suports thebrochures from the rear. When the tongs holding a brochure arrive in theproximity of the transfer station at the brochure conveyor, the earns 48of the cam disc 11 are caused to cooperate with the protruding legs 46of the clamping pockets 41 of the brochure conveyor so as to open thesame so that the portion of the brochure that is bent downward may beinserted into the clamping pocket. Subsequently, the cams 48 release thelegs 46 of the clamping pockets 41 and the rollers 16 controlling thetongs 7 pass into the transition region between the cam segments 17 and18 of the cam disc 8 so that the tongs 7 are caused to release thebrochure which then is taken over by the clamping pocket of the brochureconveyor 3.

What I claim is:

1. A device for feeding and adding brochures and the like to uniformlyspaced articles arranged on and continuously advanced by an articleconveyor, comprising an endless conveyor chain including means formingarticle receiving pockets, said conveyor delivering said articles to apackaging machine, the device including a brochure supplier foradvancing said brochures and delivering them with one of their ends toreceivers associated with said article pockets of said conveyor, atleast one guide bar for directing the other ends of said brochures intothe desired position, an endless brochure conveyor (3) disposedtransversely of said brochure supplied between the latter and saidendless article conveyor, said brochure conveyor being provided withsaid brochure receivers and extending alongside and parallel to saidarticle conveyor (4), means moving said brochure conveyor continuouslywith said article conveyor, said brochure receivers being constructed inthe form of clamping pockets, and cam means controllling the opening andclosing of said clamping pockets.

2. A device according to claim 1, including a brochure transfer device,means for oscillating said brochure transfer device between thedischarge end (24) of said brochure supplier and a brochure transferstation where the brochures are inserted into the clamping pockets ofsaid brochure conveyor.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which said brochure transfer deviceincludes at least one pair of tongs moving in a circular orbit andhaving at least one spring influenced leg urged in the direction of thetongs closing position, said leg being adapted to be moved by astationary cam disc against the action of said spring into its openposition so that said tongs in their open condition seize a protrud ingportion of a brochure at the discharge end of said brochure supplier,and means causing a subsequent closing of said tongs which in theirclosed condition are moved to the transfer station to the brochureconveyor where they are again opened.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which said brochure transfer deviceincludes a rotary table, means for mounting said movable leg of saidtongs on said rotary table perpendicularly pivotable with respect to theplane of said rotary table, and another leg of said tongs carrying atits free end a roller which during the rotation of said riotary tableengages the periphery of said stationary cam 5. A device according toclaim 4, including a cam disc (11) disposed in spaced parallel relationto said rotary table and being rigidly connected with it, said cam discbeing provided with a control cam which cooperates with a projectinglever arm of said clamping pockets of said brochure conveyor so as toopen said clamping pockets in the region of the transfer station and torelease them on further rotation of said rotary table.

6. A device according to claim 5, including a follower cam arranged onsaid cam disc (11) and engaged by a cam follower of a stationary camdisc (9) in such a manner that said follower cam slides behind saidbrochure held by said tongs at the transfer station to the clampingpockets of said brochure conveyor so as to support the portion of thebrochure which is not held by said tongs, and means for subsequentlycausing said follower cam to pivot into a retracted position as soon assaid brochure has been transferred by said transfer device to saidclamping pocket of said brochure conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ANDRES H. NIELSEN, PrimaryExaminer

